What is scurvy? Scurvy is a rare health condition caused by a vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin essential for connective tissue development, metabolism, neurotransmitters, immune function and wound healing. This antioxidant can be found in fruits and green leafy vegetables. Also, some processed foods add vitamin C and it is available in supplementation form as well.
Scurvy Symptoms
It can take months of being deficient in vitamin C before these scurvy symptoms develop:
- edema
- anemia
- myalgia
- dyspnea
- dry eyes
- arthralgia
- dry mouth
- neuropathy
- hypotension
- gum disease
- bleeding gums
- overall weakness
- muscle weakness
- delayed wound healing
- under skin bleeding on legs ~ petechiae, purplish blotches
Additional symptoms of scurvy in children are painfully swollen legs, fever, diarrhea and vomiting.
There are a variety of circumstances that could put you at a greater risk for developing scurvy, for instance:
- smoking
- on dialysis
- an alcoholic
- severe dyspepsia
- on very restrictive diet
- malabsorption disorder
- inflammatory bowel disease ~ Crohns disease
- extreme physiological stress ~ infection, injury
- failing to eat at least 2 servings of fruits & vegetables each day
- malnourished ~ starvation, eating disorder (anorexia or bulimia), fasting
Scurvy is treated with vitamin C and if left untreated can ultimately lead to death. Since the cause for scurvy is the lack of vitamin C, access to and daily consumption of fresh fruit or vegetables is the natural way to treat and prevent this vitamin deficiency related health condition.
